Mission Control to the Mountain

 

On Tuesday we had a special mission in Albuquerque.

Quite literally.

We were to participate in The Challenger Mission program, which was set up by our home school group at The Challenger Learning Center.

From the website: “It’s a unique hands-on learning experience that completely engages students in an exciting simulated space mission that includes a realistic mission control and an orbiting spacecraft – produced with guidance from NASA. Students are transformed into astronauts, scientists, engineers, and researchers as they work collaboratively to solve problems, make decisions, and share in the thrill of victory through accomplishing their mission.”

It all seemed so exciting. I was kind of hoping I could participate, too. But alas, this mission was just for the kids, and parents were told to come back a few hours later to pick up our astronauts and space engineers.

So, Jen and I decided to get outside and go for a little hike in the Sandia Mountains instead of waiting in town.

There was a newly placed letterbox on a trail that we wanted to search for. So, off we went.

 

While it was dry in Albuquerque, it was snowing up in the mountains….and at our house, too. It made for some mysterious and beautiful vistas and we enjoyed our hike together. Dobbie did, too. She really enjoyed the rock hopping most of all.

Looking down below us at the City of Albuquerque.

After finding the letterbox and doing some exploring and photo taking, we headed back down into Albuquerque to pick up Jax and Jem at The Challenger Center.

They had a blast!

They couldn’t stop talking about their responsibilities and job descriptions and the results of the mission. Oh and how much fun it was. The instructors were inspiring, authentic and exciting, too.

They begged to be involved with more of these, and it’s a good thing that The Challenger Center not only has these mission events throughout the school year, but they also have summer camps. We’ll be signing up to do more of these missions, for sure.

And Jen, Dobbie and I can head up to go hike in the mountains while brothers are managing space missions and working on changing the world.

 

   

V-Day Fun!

 

Nana bought the boys these silly Valentine’s shirts and sent them from North Carolina last week. “Hi Nana!”

 

Ranchman John gave me a special card with very sweet sentiments, and my favorite chocolate bar. And a package of yummy Ghirardelli Squares. And a dozen red roses. We don’t usually do much for V-Day so I was very surprised and also very appreciative.

We attended our home school group’s Valentine’s Day party today. Everyone played a couple games, shared in a potluck lunch, and then the kids made a mailbox craft.

Jen was very excited and couldn’t wait to complete the craft so she could see if she’d get any Valentine’s Day goodies from her friends.

 

All 36 mailboxes were set out on the pool table (one was missing, a homemade box, in this photo).

And soon the kids made their rounds, tucking cards, candy, stickers, tattoos, pencils, and other goodies into each mailbox. There was so much “mail” that it overflowed onto the plates underneath the mailboxes!

 

Afterwards we all went outside to play in the adjacent  park and playground. It was 56F degrees today! It was so warm and sunny we didn’t want to leave. But we left after 40 minutes so I’d be home in time to have Apache’s feet trimmed by the Farrier.

I wasn’t sure how Apache would do for him because she’s been rather full of herself for a while, but she was a perfect angel, walked right up to me to be haltered, stood quietly and patiently the entire time, even afterwards when the Farrier and I stood around and chatted for about 15 minutes. He did a great job on her feet and after I put Apache back in her paddock and said goodbye to the Farrier, I spent about 30 minutes scooping poop now that it’s not frozen solid to the ground. But it was quite an adventure sliding around in all the goopy mud. Apache came over to nuzzle me and lick me a few times, so that was rather nice. Perhaps that was her special way to wish me a Happy Valentine’s Day?

It was a great day!

This bit of silliness is from my twinling Jax.

I hope everyone enjoyed a Happy Valentine’s Day, too!

Busy! Busy! Busy!

 

These past two weeks have been such a whirlwind of activities for our family. I am so ready to sit back and enjoy the peace of the holiday season.

The busyness first started with us traveling to Santa Fe twice within just a few days of each other, so we could reach our Letterboxing goal. We did it! Three years of letterboxing, 30 boxes placed, and 300 boxes found! Whoohoo!

Then we had guitar lessons, doctor appointments, a CPR class, Girl Scouts Bridging and Badge Ceremony, Boy Scouts’ Court of Honor, Christmas decorating, holiday baking, and lots and lots of holiday parties and potlucks. Whew!

Here are just a few of the activities and events that I remembered to take photos of:

The Girl Scout Party with ornament decorating….

 

Badge Ceremony

 

And lots of goodies to eat.

 

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The Home School Group Christmas Party with a potluck (more food)

Lots of food and a Cookie Walk.

 

And crafts and a couple of really fun games, too!

The teenagers held stockings for three lines of kids to scoop up candy in a spoon, race up to the stockings, and fill. The first group’s stocking that was full of candy were the winners.

My twinlings love the camera.

How appropriate!

The teens. The two girls match up pretty well in personality to my boys. Lots of laughter and goofiness.

 

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Decorating our Christmas Tree.

Like I said, my boys love the camera.

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The Home School Mom’s Christmas Luncheon Party

This restaurant just opened up a few months ago. We love having good restaurants out here in our mountains. This one is only about 15 minutes from my house.

They had it decorated very festively, and one of the owners invited me to come along for a tour.

The front lobby and waiting area.

The Cantina, or bar.

Lots of stuffed and mounted critters adorn the walls, like this Oryx.

One of the dining rooms. There are several.

And a very pretty patio to enjoy meals and drinks al fresco in the summer. Lovely views of the mountains in many directions, too.

Us Moms posing for a group photo. That’s me on the left wearing the red shirt and black vest.

I ordered the Fajitas. Very delicious!

We also played a “White Elephant” Gift Exchange game, too.

 

We each picked numbers and when it was our turn we could either choose a gift from the table, or take someone else’s gift they had already chosen. I decided to mix it up a little bit and take someone else’s gift (bwahahah!) I asked this Mom try on one of the pretty aprons in the gift bag to see if it might fit me….she’s close in size to me. It fit her nicely and I’ve been wanting a pretty apron for a long time. And I love the chili peppers, too! There was also another apron included inside the gift bag that has a cute pie design, along with two Christmas style cake molds, too. Fun!

 

We’ve got company coming in from the East Coast this week and I’ve got a little more Christmas shopping and some holiday baking to do, then I plan to relax a little and just enjoy the holidays and the rest of 2010.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Taking a Magic Carpet Ride

 

We had a wonderful day yesterday! We spent the entire day in Albuquerque, Letterboxing, playing in Tiguex Tricentennial Park. (Photo taken from inside the park, looking northwest towards Explora Science Center and the Sandia Mountains)

And getting my first Mammogram (Note: Last month was Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I’m 44, so I felt it was time. If you’re over 40, hurry up and get your boobies squished. It’s quick and only a little bit uncomfortable, and it can save your life!)

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Back to yesterday…………We also attended a fabulous theater production, Disney’s Aladdin Jr., with our home school group.

The above photo is the venue where we had the pleasure of watching Aladdin Jr., performed by New Mexico Young Actors (NMYA) 

The KiMo is a unique historic building in downtown Albuquerque. Locals are very fond of our theater. which was designed in the Pueblo Deco style and first opened in September 1927. Pueblo Deco was a flamboyant, short-lived architectural style that fused the spirit of the Native American cultures of the Southwest with the exuberance of Art Deco. Pueblo Deco appeared at a time when movie-mad communities were constructing film palaces based on exotic models such as Moorish mosques and Chinese pavilions.

Native American motifs appeared in only a handful of theaters; of those few, the KiMo is the undisputed king!!

The genius behind the KiMo was Oreste Bachechi, who came to the United States in 1885. In 1925, Oreste Bachechi decided to build his own theater, one that would stand out among the Greek temples and Chinese pavilions of contemporary movie mania.

Bachechi envisioned a unique, Southwestern style theater, and hired Carl Boller of the to design it. The Bollers had designed a Wild West-Rococo-style theater in San Antonio and a Spanish cathedral/Greco-Babylonian interior in St. Joseph, Missouri.

The interior was to include plaster ceiling beams textured to look like logs and painted with dance and hunt scenes, air vents disguised as Navajo rugs, chandeliers shaped like war drums and Native American funeral canoes, wrought iron birds descending the stairs and rows of garlanded buffalo skulls with eerie, glowing red eyes.

                (Stock Photo)

Each of the myriad images of rain clouds, birds and swastikas had historical significance. The Navajo swastika is a symbol for life, freedom and happiness.

Reflecting the optimism of the time, KiMo, is a combination of two Tiwa Pueblo words meaning ‘mountain lion’ but liberally interpreted as "king of its kind".

(Stock Photo)

Vivian Vance, who gained fame as Lucille Ball's sidekick in the "I Love Lucy" series, performed at the KiMo, along with other stars such as Sally Rand, Gloria Swanson, Tom Mix and Ginger Rogers. When the theater was packed, the balcony—which spans the east to west walls, without any support, and was designed to give and sway—would drop four to eight inches in the middle!!

And another interesting tidbit I discovered was that, during renovations, the balcony railing in the lobby, composed of wrought iron bird figures, was 11 inches too short to meet modern safety codes. Harvey Hoshour devised a novel solution to retain the railings' original look. Additional metal was inserted in the birds' necks and legs to make the railing taller. The talented craftsman who performed the work was none other than the grandson of the man who created the original railing!!!

(Stock Photo)

Interesting to think about that fact, when my kidlets and I were seated in that same balcony to watch the Disney's Aladdin Jr. Performance!!

Speaking of the performance, I wasn’t sure what to expect, considering that all of the character parts are filled by children ages 8-19 years old. Sometimes kids lack the memory and confidence required to perform on stage. We shouldn’t have been concerned though. These kids were professional and experienced in every way. They knew how to transform the stage with their acting in such a way to enable the audience to forget they were in a theater. One of the things that impressed me most is that Aladdin Jr is a musical, but I figured the kids would be lip-synching. But no, they did all their own singing….and IT. WAS. PHENOMENAL!!!! They made it easy to forget that all of the performers were children. I’ve attended many theater productions, Off and On Broadway, in New York, Albuquerque, Las Vegas and Baltimore with most of the cast being adults, and I must say that the cast of Aladdin Jr. scored right up there with the adults. They were just THAT good.

My favorite character was the Genie. OH. MY. GOODNESS!!! This actor is only 15 years old and is AMAZING! ANd I told him so after the production, when he and some other actors came out to meet and greet. He just told me that he loves what he does and basically lives and breathes Theater and Improv Comedy. His amusing and entertaining antics, always quickly executed, included lots of Improv and Voice Impersonations. When he was on the stage, it was all action….he continually danced around so that you just couldn’t help but be transfixed waiting to see what he’d do next. My twinling sons kept saying that he was even more entertaining and funny than the cartoon genie, played by Robin Williams, if that gives you an idea of just how talented he was.

But of course, the gorgeous Jasmine and the squirrely Aladdin Jr. were wonderful and very entertaining, too. When they perfectly sang their beautiful duet together, "A Whole New World", I was almost brought to tears! The young man that played Jafar was perfectly chosen for this role and was tall, dark, sinister and handsome with a voice as deep as the ocean! And his parroty side-kick, Lago, performed by a young girl, using a puppet, was just as annoying as Abu is supposed to be.

My daughter was enthralled with the Arabian stage set and all the bright, colorful costumes, along with the energetic singing and dancing. There was literally something for everyone to enjoy.

All in all, one of the best musical theater productions we’ve been to. The kind of theater production, we’d go back and see again and again.

Do you have a favorite Animated Disney Movie? How about a favorite Theater Production or Musical?